AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Brody shakes Rueben’s hands and they exchange a few more pleasantries, Rueben glances over at Maggie again before they turn to leave. His lips turning up into a smile that I’m sure would have many women weak at the knees. Turning to Maggie, I tease, “You’re drooling a little bit, Mags. Just here.”
She elbows me and I laugh, before we turn to Blaire and listen to her glee.
The bar is crowded, the party now in full swing, but I manage to get a drink for myself and Maggie before turning to make my way back outside to the group. Brody reluctantly excused himself to meet and greet some important people, so Maggie and I are sitting outside keeping an eye on the kids. They haven’t come up for air since we arrived, too busy jumping around like we’re at Disneyland.
My eyes scan the room as I make my way to the patio doors, looking for Brody, when a blonde bombshell moves in front of me, stopping me in my tracks. She looks familiar, I think I saw her on the coverage of the last race. She was in the Ignite garage.
“Hi,” I offer, somewhat feebly.
Her hazel eyes look me up and down with interest before she takes a sip of her champagne and says, “You’re new.”
“New?” I ask, confused by her greeting.
“And different,” she adds, distaste evident in her tone that gets my hackles rising.
“Excuse me?” Am I missing something?
“You’re not his usual type.”
I grit my teeth in irritation before schooling my expression and asking, “And you are?”
Her perfectly white teeth shine as she flashes a condescending smile. Before she has a chance to answer, Brody appears by my side, slipping his arm around my waist. The touch bringing some instant relief and I feel myself sag into his side, appreciating the support.
“Sweetheart, this is Natalya, Connor’s girlfriend,” he says, his tone clipped and I assume he heard our exchange. Ah, so she’s his teammate’s girlfriend. That explains why she was in their team garage at the last race.
“Oh come on Brody, we know each other a little better than that,” she purrs, her beady eyes locked on his and making my skin crawl. She’s got some fucking nerve. My spine straightens in anger and Brody notices, pulling me closer to his side.
Before I can ask or bite back a response, Brody ushers me away without another word to Natalya. I glance back over my shoulder and she has a smug grin on her face, which pisses me off.
“What was that about?” I ask when Brody helps me onto a stool in the corner. His hand never leaving my skin, the touch does little to soothe my fraying nerves. Reminders that we’re from two different worlds keep making an appearance and I’m doing my best to keep them at bay.
“I don’t know, and I don’t care. All I want is to enjoy a night with my girl,” Brody says, kissing my palm and I melt at the touch. He looks a little rattled and I want to ask him why, whether it’s Natalya’s bitchy exchange or something else. His eyes lock on mine as he says, “Give me another half hour and then we can get out of here.”
“Okay,” I whisper against his lips as he leans in to claim mine, and just like that, I’m reminded of why I’m here. Because Brody is mine. He’s asked me to trust him, and I do. “Good luck prying the kids off that thing though.”
He laughs and looks out to see Maggie trying to coax Brooks down the big slide.
“We’ll manage, and then we’re going back to our room. You, me and that big tub,” he teases, running a finger down my cheek and making me shiver in anticipation. “I hope you’re not tired, Angel. I don’t plan on sleeping much tonight.”
Before I can answer, a man appears beside Brody, slapping him on the back and giving him one of those guy hugs.
“Hey man, didn’t realize they were letting the riffraff in,” Brody jokes, pulling me to his side and introducing me. “Rosie, this is Olivier, he races for Vitesse. And this is his wife, Marion.”
A petite brunette appears by Olivier’s side, her smile genuine and I instantly like her.
“Lovely to meet you, Rosie. Do you mind if I borrow your date for a moment?” he asks, kissing his wife on the cheek and walking off with Brody to introduce him to someone.
“It’s a bit much, isn’t it?” Marion asks, with a hand motioning around her.
I laugh at her honesty, it’s refreshing. “Just a tad. Does it ever get any easier? All these big events and cameras?”
“Easier, no. But it’s worth it. He comes alive on the track, and if this is what we have to do to keep him there, then I can deal with it,” Marion says, gazing lovingly over at her husband. “Anyway, enough about me. Tell me where you got your dress, I’m in love.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Fuck, this is not how I had planned on spending my evening. I thought the issues we had with the car were fixed, but it seems like shit’s going wrong at every configuration. The engineers are exhausted and I’m certain my watch is sick of seeing my face every time I check how late I am for dinner with Rosie. Although I’ve already messaged her to let her know I was stuck here for another hour, it now looks like it might be longer, and a text isn’t enough.
Excusing myself from the room, I go to the outdoor stairs as I dial Rosie’s number. The place is busy with the other teams also prepping for Friday’s practice ahead of qualification on Saturday and the race on Sunday. I’m hoping we get tomorrow at least to enjoy some of our time together in Mexico City. It’s one of my favorite stops with its vibrancy and joie de vivre. From the food to the locals, everything about this place is welcoming, and I want to share the experience with her.
